


Of Dogs And Diligence

by trixxupmysleeves



Series: Bandog Trilogy [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2020-01-25 20:29:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18582013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trixxupmysleeves/pseuds/trixxupmysleeves
Summary: A lot can change in one night. Ask Adrien Agreste. After Chat Noir goes AWOL, Ladybug gives Adrien the dog miraculous to fend back an akuma. But when Adrien unveils a dangerous plot to take down Paris’s protector, he’s got to keep his wits about him if he wants to keep Paris safe.





	1. Inauguration

     His nose was plugged, his kwami snoring, the blinds were drawn shut, and he was sick.  
     It really wasn't uncalled for. Many nights under the cold Parisian moon didn't help, not to mention he kept forgetting to close the windows. Adrien didn't do well with drafts; one thing led to another. And so here he was  
     That wasn't even the worst part! Being out of commission stopped him from going out on patrol. From hours of sleeping to his fathers insistence that he work in his studies will away from school, the young model didn't have time to transform. Even if he could pull himself out of bed and trudge through dirty socks and empty soup bowls, he doubted his transformation would distract him from his illness.  
     So he slept.  
Adrien tolled over, stifling a mucus-filled moan. Being sick was terrible with his schedule, yet at the same time, was invigorating. He couldn't model, onto school, manage his social media presence, or be Chat Noir, and that was okay. It pained him to think that his only refuge was being ill, but if that's what it took to have some time and space to himself, it would have to do.  
     And it felt nice, to be alone. Plagg mainly ate and slept anyways, leaving Adrien to speculate that he and the kwami had more in common than he thought. But the relative silence was worth the pain and coughing. Finally, all was still.  
     Knock, knock, knock.  
     Adrien quieted, frozen by the sudden sound. He internally cursed. Why couldn't he just have this one moment? He dreamed of times like these, and here comes Nathalie with some Algebra or something. Woe was he. Adrien pulled himself out of bed, pulling a faded Jagged Stone t-shirt over his plaid pajama pants. Flipping hair from his face, he shuffled across the room to the door, and after making sure Plagg was safely hidden, opened the door. He was met with air.  
     The knocking repeated, startling him. If there was no one at the door, someone was at the window. He braved himself, slowly crossing to the balcony. Grasping a baseball bat he kept for emergencies, he gingerly opened the door that lead to the balcony.  
     Standing in her signature red and black, Ladybug was posed in front of him. She was frazzled, evidently coming from and akuma battle, yet she was poised and composed. Her deep blue eyes met Adrien and he was filled with glee. Ladybug was here, on his doorstep! Her glory blinded him, and for moments he stood frozen facing the hero. She spoke first.  
     "Adrien, I'm so glad you're awake!" He hasn't noticed until she pointed it out, but it was dark outside, probably close to midnight. "Can I come inside?"  Adrien instantly remembered his uncharacteristically messy bedroom, and frowned.  
     "Maybe it's best if you don't come in. I've been sick, and we wouldn't want Paris' primary protector getting sick, would we?" He laughed, pulling himself into the balcony. He was face to face with her. She was taller than him, with deep black hair pulled into pigtails as usual. He pushed her beauty into the recess of his mind momentarily. "How can I help you?"  
     She smiled. "I'm flattered that you call me 'Paris' protector' but Chat Noir and the rest of Team Miraculous does a fantastic job. And that's why I'm here." She produced a small, black box from behind her. The box was adorned with an ornate red design on the top, and Adrien immediately knew what it was.  
     "Paris is once more under attack, this time Hawkmoth has called in backup. With both akumas and sentimonsters running amuck, I need some help." She held the box towards him. "Adrien Agreste, here is the Miraculous of the Dog, which grants the power of diligence. You will use it for the greater good. Once the job is done, you will return the Miraculous to me. Can I trust you?"  
     For a split second, Adrien was speechless. Ladybug wanted his help. At least, she always wanted his help, just when he was Chat Noir. But now she was looking for Adrien, not Chat. Part of him wanted to rejoice and cry out, yes, of course! The other part, the part of him which secretly resented having powers, being a hero, having all these responsibilities, that part was begging him to say no.  
     Adrien was a fan of being a hero. He wanted to do it all the time. But he had other duties. To his schoolwork, his friends, his family. He couldn't handle having two miraculouses, could he? He put together a plan. He would only use the miraculous this once, and never again. He would jump back into Chat Noir, and forget about this night.  
     "If course you can, Ladybug." He answered. Despite his hesitance, Adrien opened the box. A small, round necklace which he recognized from his lessons with Fu sat dead center. The black, white and gold bracelet flashed, shifting into brown and white. A bright sphere swirled around him, and his adventure began.


	2. A Cat, A Dog, And A Rich Kid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plagg experiences a little thing called jealousy, and a new hero is born.

The sphere shimmered and faded, revealing the kwami inside. They had huge, floppy ears, sparkling blue eyes, and a waging tail. A cheerful smile was laid across their tiny face, and they let out a small yip.

"Hi! I`m Barkk, the dog kwami! How are you? You have great eyes! I love your room! We`re going to be great friends!" Barkk zipped around Adrien, before flying off to the Foosball table. Ladybug giggled as the puppy ran (floated?) among the tiny players, before snapping into focus.

"Barkk, we need to stay on task. This is Adrien," He smiled and nodded in response. "He`s going to be your temporary partner tonight. You`ll need to help him transform. Adrien, once you`ve transformed, your weapon will give you a map to the akuma. You`ll pick it up fast." She waved, jogging out of the room. In an instant, she was swinging away, and Adrien was standing in the darkness of his bedroom.

Turning on the lights, Adrien pulled the bracelet over his wrist. He admired it, letting the silence of the night accentuate the gravity of his decision.

"Oh, Adrikins?" Plagg wailed in a falsetto sing-song voice. The cat wafted out of the blankets, feline eyes adjusting to the new light. "Whats going on here? It`s the middle of the ni-" Plagg froze, locked onto Barkk. His tail swished menacingly, and he directed his emotion towards Adrien. "Adrien?"

"Yes?"

"Who is that?"

"Um, that`s Barkk."

"Oh, I see," He paused. "Why is she here?"

At the mention of her name, Barkk curiously swiveled towards her brother. An impish grin quickly crossed her face, and she zipped over to the kwami of destruction, enveloping him in a bear hug. "Plagg! I missed you! What are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing, Barkk." He shifted under her hug. His eyes darted over to Adrien`s neck, narrowing dangerously at the miraculous. . Of course, Adrien mused. Cats and dogs. "Is that your miraculous?"

Barkk glanced over. "Oh, yeah! Isn`t it swell? It`s looking great, considering it hasn`t been used in such a long time, huh?" She smiled. "Oh, that reminds me! Adrien, I`m the kwami of diligence, which means that your power is that too! You can manipulate people`s attention, directing it to or from you. With the phrase 'Barkk, Eyes Open' you can transform! The power is 'Fursight', and I`ll let you figure out the weapon by yourself." She winked, flying over, and into, the camembert safe. She zipped out. "Adrien, did you know you have a safe full of terrible cheese in your room?"

"Terrible!why, I outta-" Plagg motioned towards his sister, blocked by Adrien, but his rage remained. He huffed, his childish despair bright as the sun. Adrien knew that this was more than anger, though.

"Plagg, you`re not being replaced. I`m just... um... Ladybug dropped by. Chat has been out of ord-" Adrien sneezed, partially out of sickness, partially to make Plagg stop moping. "See? I`m only stepping out for a moment, buddy. " Adrien smiled, melting away Plagg`s frustration for a moment. He stood straight up. "Okay, lets do this. Barkk, Eyes Open!"

The small dog flew into the necklace, flashing it back into black, gold and white. In a matter of seconds, a bright wave transformed Adrien. A breathable leather suit descended on him, a cascade of black with brown and white markings. His blond hair shifted into a short black buzz cut with brown tips, and a black mask crossed his face. The mask even had miniature brown markings like a doberman, and a pair of pointy ears finalized the outfit.

A large wishbone was fastened to his waist, and upon inspection, Adrien realized it was a slingshot! He closed one eye, and playfully aimed for Plagg. He motioned pulling back a string, and one materialized infront of him, a small ball of brown light at the end. "Woah." He whispered, and released it. With a yelp in anticipation, Plagg jumped out of the way, as the ball unfolded into a small dog made of energy. The projectile sailed across the room, blasting on the climbing wall.

"Careful there, Robin Hood." Plagg called from inside the safe. "The slingshot is dangerous! Especially with Fursight." The cat mumbled something about attention span, and Adrien admired his formed his costume in the mirror in his bathroom. A small tail was adorned on his rear. Adrien couldn`t help but grin. From the military hair, to the spiked collar, and the leather, he was filled with excitement. A cerrtain kind of buzz, only found in using a miraculous.

Adrien stuffed some pillows under his blankets, and turned off the lights. "Listen Plagg. I`m gonna go help Ladybug." He motioned to his desk, where his ring was. "If anything happens, you know where the ring is." He nodded one last time before heading towards the balcony. He effortlessly jumped onto the balcony railing. That light, electric feeling bound up and down his spine. His heightened senses, new, attentive power that didnt`t come with being Chat Noir.

He was Bandog.


	3. Warehouse Bound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bandog explores his newfound senses, and follows a metal trail.

     Freedom.  
     That was the first thing Adrien noticed. A huge weight lifted off of his shoulders. He wasn't looking over his shoulder or putting on an image of confidence or composure. His father didn't expect anything of him. Of Bandog. He was free to jump and play as laugh, so he did. As he sprinted across the parisian skyline, he laughed out loud. He enjoyed the isolation and peace of being sick, but the power to rip free and just be was far more valuable. 

And his senses! It was as if he had come back from an unannounced hiatus. Everything was sharper and more pronounced then it had been before. His sight was incredible, and he could see the markings on roof tiles from four blocks away if he wanted. His ears were tuned to the slightest scuffle under the cloak of night, and the smells of Paris were alive through him. 

     He smiled again. This was great. This was powerful, and liberating, and different. The dog miraculous was awakening something in him the cat never did. It wasn’t precarious and stealthy, mysterious and slick. The dog miraculous made him feel tough and alert. It made him feel enhanced, and he was a beast. But as much as the dog was incredible, he had to focus, and get the mission done. He needed to find the akuma. 

Bandog slowed from a sprint to a trot, and dismounted the slingshot from his back. It was roughly the size of a dinner plate, with a sturdy handle and a corded rope. As with all miraculous tools, the slingshot had hidden communication features. He just had to figure them out. He playfully twanged the tight cord, testing the strength of the pouch. He pulled at the handle, wondering if it opened up like his staff. Finally, he twisted the tips of the arms, shaped like the end of bones.

The tips clicked, and a glowing holograph interface instantly spanned the space between the arms. He smiled a wolffish smirk as he navigated the screen. Calls were here, calendar there, with an internet browser tucked neatly on the side. A pinpoint icon lead to the map, where Ladybugs yo-yo had pinged the akumas recent location. It was not that far, at full speed, and he had no time to waste. 

Bandog tucked away the slingshot after turning it off, and set off towards the akuma site. The realization donned on him that he was going to have to adjust to the new weapon, and figure out how to use his powers on the fly. The dog seemed to be a long distance miraculous, like the rooster and it’s darts. And if his lessons served him correctly, this miraculous should help him get close without being detected. Or maybe he should make himself the focus of the area so Ladybug could get up close. 

Bandog didn’t even know what the akuma was, or it’s powerset. What if he wasn’t the right person for the job? He trusted that Ladybug picked the right miraculous to fight, as she was rarely wrong about that. But he was a cat person, and he was used to being offensive, on the frontlines. He wasn’t entirely sure he could pull it off. 

But he had to try, he decided. He was strong and clever, and he could handle the power of the cat. He could probably handle the dog, right? He needed to prove he was a versatile and valuable fighter, so he could be taken seriously. He wasn’t going to be Ladybug’s sidekick. He was going to prove to himself that he was a hero, too. 

A supernatural push of focus snapped him to attention. Noting the nearby signs, he had arrived at the warehouse the akuma was in. He surveyed the area. It was dark, naturally, and the grey warehouses stood like sentries around the lot. The moon shone overhead, casting an eerie light on an already silent scene. But it wasn’t peaceful.

Cars were streamed along the road leading to the warehouses, slash marks in their sides. Bandog leapt from a nearby roof towards a truck with a ripped tire. A long, jagged cut trailed down the side of the truck, from roof to tire. Bandog looked closer. Whatever had done that had been fast, as the cut didn’t run too deep. Similar markings lead to a warehouse door, he discovered a minute later, and the door was torn open down the middle. 

As he stepped inside the pitch black warehouse, he felt prick of attention wrap around him. He heard a sucked in breath, the clicking of chains, and was slammed into the ground.


	4. Tendrils and Strands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bandog has a quick face off, and tests out his new powers.

The winded was forced out of him as he tumbled onto the ground. The world span like an angry washing machine as he was rolled across the floor. The slick concrete floor was hard underneath his back when he skidded to a stop, and the rafted ceiling hung far above him. His heart banged hard in his chest, and he struggled to his feet to face his attacker.   
The akuma was roughly 5’6, and made entirely out of chains. The silver tendrils swirled loudly from the arms of a dark cloak that wrapped around the head like a mummy, covering all except two black eyes with white pupils, and hung down around uneven shoulders. A single pair of twisted, rusty handcuffs was all the pinned the hood together against the writhing chest, and the wrest of the chains spilt out from under neath the cloak, like a naga’s tail.   
“You should not have come to this place,” The akuma hissed at him in an agitated whisper. “You should have stayed away.” The head contorted as the akuma spoke, like the simple act of speech was a great effort. Bandog grimaced at the now approaching opponent, and held his slingshot at the ready.   
“Who are you?” He demanded. Bandog took a fighting stance, prepared to dodge or pounce the akuma. “And where’s Ladybug?”  
The creature threw its head back in a strained laugh. It sounded like nails on a chalkboard and was torture for Bandog’s enchanted hearing. “You can call me Slain Link.” With that, Slain Link whipped a sharp tentacle at Bandog with the speed of lightning. He helped, flipping forwards over the arm, and launched a few energy balls towards his enemy’s chest. He was aiming for the handcuffs, which most likely held the akuma.   
The projectiles propelled Slain Link backwards through the torn opening in the wall. Bandog landed on his feet and sprinted towards the outdoors, where nearby street lamps made the monster glimmer and shine. Within moments, it was back on what was now eight spiders legs, with four taloned arms poised to strip Bandog like a scorpion. He exhaled sharply.  
“You look ready for a fight you will not win.” Bandog snarled at Slain Link with blue eyes narrowed. A gritty toughness had entered his voice, giving him an air of confidence, and Bandog pulled back the string shot cord pointedly. Slain Link stomped on the ground, making nearby car alarms go off. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”  
Out of the corner of his eye, Bandog spotted Ladybug. She was stalking quickly under the screeching cover of the alarms. But he also noticed an overturned van, with the shiny roof angled to give Slain Link a reflected view of the heroine. It’ll see her, he realized with a jump. He needed to use his power now, to give her a chance to sneak up on it.   
Bandog pulled back the string on the slingshot. “Let’s do this. Fursight!” The magic phrase activated his power, and a layer of reality clicked into existence. Suddenly, Bandog could see the bubbles of attention surrounding him, Slain Link, and Ladybug. They wavered like vibrating spider webs, and all pointed towards the hero.   
Bandog carefully noted the strands. Each bubble surround a person had loose tendrils spinning faintly around them, grazing lightly against surrounding objects. Ladybug’s focus shot out towards Slain Link as she crept towards him. Slain Link was latched solidly on him, but Ladybug was edging closer quite fast, and in moments she would be detected. So he took the line of focus that Slain Link had hooked onto Bandog’s bubble in his hand, and drew it closer.   
At that pull, all of Slain Links attention tendrils adjusted and wrapped around the original. He was now entirely focused on Bandog, and the hero subtly motioned towards Ladybug. She took the hint, and sprang in front of Slain Link. Of course, his full attention was on Bandog, so his eyes didn’t even turn to her. She slashed a red and black knife through the handcuffs and freed the akuma.   
Moments later, the damage was undone. The escaped convict was revealed and captured. Adrien went home and waited for Ladybug to pick up the miraculous.   
And waited.   
And waited.


	5. Gunner, Runners, and Midnight Chats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bandog reassures his favourite kwami, and overhears a not so great conversation.

      Bandog watched a plane cross the night sky. The neighbourhood was calm and still as if the moon had hit night shift on the city. The wind blew against Bandog's face as he swung his legs back and forth on the edge of his balcony. He was pleased with how the evening had gone. He rose to the occasion when Ladybug needed him and taken down an Akuma, and now all he had to do was come up with an excuse as to why he couldn't be Bandog again. Maybe he has accidentally let his identity slip, or he had too many extracurriculars. Like being Chat Noir, be joked to himself. Still, being a hero was fun, and he enjoyed the alertness that came with the Dog necklace, and the outfit wasn't half bad either. 

But he had an obligation as Chat Noir, what would happen if Ladybug left during a fight to fetch Bandog? He would never be there when she needed him, and she would take him off the list herself. He was simply speeding up the process. Saving her the stress of trying to find a replacement Dog wielder by retiring now. 

"What are you still doing with that thing on?" Plagg had crept up behind him through the blackness of the evening, perching himself on the railing beside Bandog. He eyed him suspiciously as if he was harbouring a fugitive, and Bandong softly smirked under his kwami's glare. 

"Jealousy doesn't look too good on you, Plagg. You know I'm not replacing you, right? I'm just stepping in as Bandog for one evening, and when Ladybug gets here, I'll give back the miraculous-"  
"And never use it again. Cool, sounds like a plan to me. Glad we could sort that out." The cat kwami huffed assuredly, but Adrien could easily see he was upset deep down. Bandog placed a hand on his kwami's head, patting him slowly the way he knew Plagg liked to be pet. 

"Yes, Plagg, I'm never using the Dog again." He sighed and got to his feet on the balcony. "As a matter of fact, I'm gonna go find Ladybug and bring her back right now, and you can watch me say goodbye to Barkk for good, okay?" He raised an eyebrow to Plagg, who flew up to meet his eyes. The kwami held the silence for a few moments and then nodded his approval. Bandog smiled and leapt out into Paris. 

The city was a blur under his feet as he ran across the rooftops once more. Bandog swept his eyes across the horizon, searching for flashes of red and black. He figured he would check alleys and dead ends, in case of Ladybug was feeding her kwami. His eyes glazed quickly on the ground as he passed alley after alley. He rounded a corner, hoping to find Ladybug soon.

     A slumped person stood hidden behind a dumpster, their phone emitting a bright light from their hand. They were dressed in a black hoodie and grey sweats, dark, stealthy clothing. Bandog slid to a silent stop on the edge of the roof. Something about this person seemed off. Even though he wasn't using Fursight, he could sense clearly that this person was hyper-focused. They were watching and waiting for something, or someone. They glanced up from their phone every few seconds in anticipation, so Bandog edges back a few inches into the darkness. 

     After watching the person for what seemed like ages, Bandog noticed someone stop on the other edge of the street, similarly dressed in black. They nervously surveyed the street and crossed, silently entering the alley. The first person, who Bandog dubbed Grey, looked up from their phone and pocketed it as the other person slowed to a stop in front of them. Person number two, Shifty, spoke first. 

     "You hear about what happened?" Shifty spoke with a deep, manly voice, which Bandog could see now filled up his large barrelled chest. "One of the runners was busted this afternoon. Brought in for questioning."

     "Of course I heard. But that's not all. The most recent Akuma was a prison escapee, who Ladybug brought in. Our guys on the ground say it was the very same guy who was brought in. Gunner Martin." Grey was also male, but his voice was higher and filled with a sleazy quality.

     Shifty cursed under his breath. "You mean Gunner the runner was captured twice? And akumatized?" He paced a few feet, obviously pissed. "Seems he cracked under the pressure. He's gonna spill for sure."

     "Don't sweat it, man. He was only a runner, he doesn't know enough to bring us down! We'll be fine as long as-" His phone dinged, and the slid it out of his pocket. He stiffened at the notification and typed a few things in response to what Bandog assumed was a message. Another ding and Bandog looked closer at the phone. A long message filled the screen in a text bubble, and Grey dropped his phone back into his pocket. 

     "That doesn't look too good." Shifty offered, picking up on Greys silence. The smaller man seemed to mull over the recent development before sharing.

     "Martin cracked. Police have swarmed a drop spot and snagged a few of our guys. Seems like they've been building a case against us, and Gunner's confession was what they needed to hunt us down." Shifty swore loudly a few times and kicked a nearby trash can. 

     From what Bandog could piece together, these two were higher-ups in what was an illegal ring of sorts. Gunner Martin was a runner of something, who the cops apprehended earlier that day. He was akumatized in prison, and after he and Ladybug defeated him, he confessed to the cops about... something. It was obviously enough to start bringing down the ring, as it seemed Grey and Shifty were up in arms. 

     "This is Ladybugs fault, isn't it?" Shifty started. "She brought Gunner in again. Seeing her must've made him realize how deep in it he was, and he cracked." He swore once more and faced Grey. "We gotta make her pay."

     Grey shook his head. "We're just one branch, man. The chief will just cut us all loose. No point going after Ladybug. We're done-"

     "No! Don't you see? If she hadn't gotten involved-"

     "It was the police, not her, who started this-"

     "But she had to scare him. And now we're all paying the price. I'm not going down for this. We gotta take her out. We'll take a hostage or something, start a live stream requesting she come and stop us, and only she can come in. Not Chat Noir, not Rena Rouge or Carapace, and certainly not the police, or we shoot. When she arrives-"

     "Pierre, you're being ridiculous-"

      "We demand her earrings, or we blow up the spot. Bombs and everything. She's so good, she'll have to abide, lest she risks someone's life. Maybe we rig up the high school or something as a bonus." 

     "That's never going to work. She'll call in reinforcements, and we'll go to jail. Let's just take up our savings and go. Escape before the cops catch us. Go to Nepal until this all blows over. It's not worth the time, Pierre." Grey put his foot down, stomping the conversation out cold. Bandog realized he'd been holding his breath. 

     Shifty -no, Pierre - was planning a trap for Ladybug? This guy couldn't be serious, couldn't be for real. He had to be bluffing, just upset about Gunner being brought in. This wasn't real. This was-

     "Bandog!" He looked up with a start to see Ladybug running to him a few houses away. She waved as he frantically motioned to keep quiet - he was about to find out whether these guys were going to go for it. 

     But when he looked down, they had vanished.


	6. Bedtime Worry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bandog messes up with his new powers, and the guilt sets in.

     "I've scoured the city, Adrien. They're gone." Ladybug walked into his bedroom for the second time in the past four hours. The room was still in a bit of disarray, but that was the least of Adrien's problems. Powers of diligence and attention, the ability to focus people's motives and determination, and he lost two common thugs. It was unbelievable. The very reason he had been given the Dog was so he could prevent things like this from happening, and he has possibly endangered Ladybug by losing focus. 

     "I'm sorry I lost them." She reiterated. Adrien had already repeated the conversation to her, and she agreed to help him look for the conspirators, Grey and Pierre. But it was late, and he had used Fursight multiple times to find them, and it couldn't just pull their location out of thin air. Ladybug had tried to use the yo-yo to break into the security cameras, but it was taking a while to hack the system, and she needed to take back the Dog. "I'll ask Chat Noir to keep an eye out for them when I see him. And I'll ask Alya Césaire to post a wanted notice on the Ladyblog. If they're staying in Paris, we'll find them."

     Adrien nodded from his couch. He had been pacing relentlessly ever since she sent him home to sleep while she did the last run-through, but that didn't stop him from feeling guilty. He felt horrible, actually, and he felt the need to apologize. "I just wish I had been more attentive. I failed you." He gripped the couch cushions in frustration.

     Ladybug shook her head sadly. "It's not your fault. It's your first night with powers, so you wouldn't have been fully aquatinted with them yet. Don't worry about it." She stood confidently in front of him. "Barkk, any luck?"

     The dog kwami sat snuggly on a pillow next to Adrien. She opened her eyes and shook her head remorsefully. "I've been trying to track any signs of someone trying to avoid suspicion, but I would've found them by now. They're most likely asleep, Ladybug. I would be able to track them if they weren't." Great, Adrien lamented. The only living thing in the world who could find them, and she was having trouble. 

     "That's okay, Barkk." Ladybug reassured her. "Because now that I'm aware of their plan, I can be ready for it." 

     "Yeah, you're right." Adrien tried to tell himself everything was going to be okay. "They won't be able to track if you see the broadcast, so you'll have time to grab some help in case of emergency!" He half-heartedly smiled, as if to fool himself into not feeling guilty. 

     "Exactly. We'll be fine. Thank you for tour help, too, Adrien. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to take down Slain Link." Or be in this situation, either. 

     "I didn't even really do much, though. I just walked into a warehouse and distracted a monster. Simple." He put his hand in his head. "But this, this is my fault. If I had caught them-"

     "You'd try and take them to the authorities, and have no proof they were plotting anything. They'd be released, and they'd target you too. You were a great help tonight, and we helped take some bad guys off the street. I think you've done all you can." With a sweet smile, she held out the small version of the miracle box. She was ready for him to return the Dog necklace. 

     He swallowed. He had done all he could do. Now, he just had to go to sleep, and trust everything would end up alright. "You're sure the yo-yo will hack into the camera system and track them?" He asked.

     Ladybug nodded. "I'm sure."

     He turned to Barkk. "Would you still try and track them?"

     "Definitely." The puppy tipped. 

     He nodded. "Okay, then. Barkk, thanks for your help." She hugged him fast, and he took off the miraculous. She zipped inside, changing the colour back to black and brown. He placed it inside the waiting box, and bid Ladybug goodbye. As she swung away, Plagg zoomed from out under the couch. 

     "Is it gone?" He asked, eyes darting around the room. "Did you return the Dog?" 

     "Her name is Barkk," Adrien chided. "And yes, she's been returned." He climbed into bed. "I can't believe I-"

     "Lost some gangsters, oh no, whatever." Plagg cut him off. The cat yawned and curled up next to the boy. "I got the picture. No use crying over spilt milk. Now sleep!" And with that reassuring speech, the god of destruction began to snore.


End file.
